HUMBA, SINUGLAO AT IBA PA

oo

nakaantabay na ang maliligalig na gabi 
ang pagbubunyi kay San Juan Bautista Evangelista

mabubuhay ang palengkeng itinaboy ni Kristo
at sa Bukidnon ang mga alay na baka ay igagayak  

inihayag ng Mariskal ang mga Gran Maestre
mga pinipitagan ng kumakalog na bulwagan 

hindi inasahan

ang iginayak na pagkain ng Hapon sa pananghalian
ang humbang masabaw, ang tabontabon sa sinuglao 

Aba ginoong bakla ako ay lubos na nasorpresa
Lasang gatas at sariwa ang bagong huling isda
Tuklap ang kapote ng may agam-agam at pangamba
Erehe ang sumisid sa banal at nag-aapoy na lawa
Asupre nga ang tumagas sa sugat na namamasa 

sa Binondo

nagpulong ang tropa ni Gat Jose Rizal

[Panciteria Maquinista de Buen Gusto]

pancit canton at lumpiang shanghai na malutong

[New Toho Food Center]

ang sahog ng mami ay karneng baka at hindi pusa

[Lan Zhou La Mien]  

THE LAST 7 DAYS (+2) OF LENT

needles, gamma rays, heart voltages, sound waves 

metformin and atorvastatin, febuxostat and losartat

pizza, shawarma, cheesecake, beer and whiskey 

palm ash on the forehead, Black Saturday buffet

Bakal Dos blacked out, churches trembled and crashed

pasyon and videoke, a mother mourns on Good Friday

bisikleta iglesia, flagellation in the bike trails

Easter Sunday resurrection, umbrellas in funeral march   

Amarnthine green, Masonic blue, Scottish purple

orange bags, tattered bingo cards, phantom diarrhea 

Maundy men in black robes dine, candle lights off

Easter's white knights convene, candle lights on     

LARRY ITLIONG AND VAN GOGH IN BAUANG AND TAYUG

She came to pick grapes, I opted for the local wine. 

Manong Larry Itliong's Delano grape strike and John Steinbeck's angry grapes are ancient history to Bauang's emerging grape industry.

They came for the sunflowers, I to relive Van Gogh in Arles.

Should Tayug plant more grapes instead to honor Itliong who's from Pangasinan and perhaps adopt Steinbeck and Van Gogh too?

They found bikes in Tayug and Pozzorubio.

But we traveled for a wedding, for Balong the replacement abay and the rest of our offsprigs who were all abays to the oldest of their generation. 

And the [1] old woman frog fisher [2] ate raw tuna and drank cold beer [3] in Doods' bievenida party [4] along the bike trails of Munoz [5] where the Scottish Rite honored a dead man [6] while I killed time sitting in the East. 

BAKAL II MOMENTS

-31-

London came calling

Three more years, one full decade

Songs and a dinner

-32-

Dante's inferno

My heaven and happy place

Beer and whiskey burned

BANGKOK

Blisters for noodles.

But I'll walk to the moon for what is allegedly the best kuay teow neua [beef noodles] in Bangkok.

And that should be Wattana Panich Restaurant. 

Grilled chicken for dessert.

Cold Singha helped soothe my disappointment with what is said to be the best gai yang [grilled chicken] in Bangkok.

Sabai Jai is over rated.

Lunches at Gypsum.

Khai jiao [omelette] and moo tod gratiem [fried pork] are my ultimate comfort food in Bangkok.

Oxfam is closing down.

Whiskey and soda.

Crazy Rich Asians by air, a chat with the Grab driver in between, and FM radio by land.

Beer and brandy don't mix.